BioWare, it's time to sell Cartel Ships the mainstream will actually buy...

[Nemarus]

I posted another thread asking people what mechanical ship variants they'd like to see made into Cartel Market alternates.

 

But I want to have a separate discussion about Cartel Ship appearances. For the average player, who isn't concerned with having access to two alternate builds of the same variant, the only reason they'd buy a Cartel Market ship is to avoid the Fleet Req grind or because they like the alternate appearance being offered.

 

But for that second bit to actually attract people to buy, the ships on offer need to actually have mainstream appeal.

 

I hope that BioWare is still going to offer more Cartel Ships, but if and when they do, they really need to pause for a moment and consider, "What are people more likely to buy? A ship that looks like a beehive with wings, or a ship that looks like an homage to iconic ships from the movies/comics/games/novels/RPG's?" They have no problem selling simple Jedi Robes, Revan's outfit, or Naga Sadow's outfit in the Cartel Shop... so why aren't seeing the same tactic in Cartel Ship sales?

 

Look, I'm not saying I want them to sell a literal X-wing or TIE Interceptor. But we saw with the Clarion that you can strongly pay homage to a movie ship without outright copying it.

 

For example, I'd love to see a Blackbolt-style ship (aesthetically speaking) with various dagger-wing configurations: three like a TIE Phantom, four like a TIE Interceptor, or even six daggers on three panels, like a TIE Defender! Any would make an amazing alternate to the horribad Imperial Strike models and would be bought in droves by both GSF die-hards and newbies.

 

And if the devs aren't comfortable using post-SWTOR ships for inspiration, we could at least see things like the KOTOR Sith and Republic fighters.

 

Or what about ships that look like fighter-sized siblings to the class ships?

 

Or what about race-based ships? What does a Cathar ship look like? Or more importantly, what about Chiss-produced ships? Datamining showed that the Infiltrator class on the Empire side was supposed to be Chiss developed (according to the flavor text description). And yet, those data-mined models looked like hideous, boxy tugs. I thought Chiss-Imperial ships were supposed to look like this.

 

If you want people to pay 1800 Cartel Coins for a cosmetic skin, MAKE IT DESIRABLE. MAKE IT ICONIC. Help people fulfill their Star Wars fantasy, and they will be more likely to spend money and play GSF. Force them to fly something ugly, and they won't.

 

THESE ARE NOT DESIRABLE. Sure, individuals may have a rare fondness for one or two of them (I like the Mailoc because it sort of resembles a Lambda shuttle). But to the mainstream, these awkward hunks of junk ARE NOT STAR WARS. At the least they aren't hero ships. So of course people are not going to pay $10-$20 for them.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Nemarus

[Verain]

I mean, the ships you link- the imperial ones- are properly imperial models. The clarion is not a cartel ship either, and for good reason.

 

 

I actually like most of the cartel ships. I really, really like the TZ-24, as it is the only ship lacking bilateral symmetry. Both gunship models are pleasing.

 

The bomber has an issue where it mostly looks like a different scale- like you bought a hotwheels and a GI-Joe and you have to use your imagination for the Joe to get in the hotwheel, and you can't feature both "on screen"- like it is just a totally different scale or something. It also is a bit flat. I still like it, but it's hard to look past those things.

 

 

The premium scout is... well, I mean, we call it the Testicula for good reason. It gets across the Czerka message, but it is not very pleasing.

 

 

 

 

 

The issue is this: You can't go putting a TIE Defender-alike into the game unless it is an imperial ship. It can't be premium. And it shouldn't be, really- the most iconic ships should be fleet req ships.

 

 

 

 

But I definitely am with you on racial ships and different ships and simply put, better ships. Mostly the cartel ships are remodeled and you'd expect some fresh modeling to go on there, more than we've seen.

[Kuciwalker]

I disagree [with Nemarus], actually. The only Cartel ship I really dislike is the scout (ugh). I love the strike (I actually fly that instead of the base T1), I'm quite fond of the gunship (though not fond enough to fly it instead of the Quarrel, which I think is perfect-looking), I think the fake-gunship is pretty good (but not good enough to demean myself by actually flying it), and the bomber is OK.

 

I agree with Verain.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Kuciwalker

[Nemarus]

I disagree [with Nemarus], actually. The only Cartel ship I really dislike is the scout (ugh). I love the strike (I actually fly that instead of the base T1), I'm quite fond of the gunship (though not fond enough to fly it instead of the Quarrel, which I think is perfect-looking), I think the fake-gunship is pretty good (but not good enough to demean myself by actually flying it), and the bomber is OK.

 

I agree with Verain.

 

As I said, isolated people will like some models. I personally like most of the Cartel models too.

 

A few people like buying all the extrovert crap on the Cartel market also. But imagine if that were the only thing offered in Cartel Packs, or if they were sold standalone. Very few would buy them.

 

The current crop of Cartel Market ships do not have mainstream iconic appeal.

 

And as for the question of Cartel Ships having to be faction neutral--why? Even the existing Cartel Market ships were sold in Imperial and Republic flavors, and those flavors even had subtle cosmetic differences in color and weapons. And while neutral ships are great for Smugglers, Bounty Hunters, some Agents, and other eccentric character concepts, they don't do anything for someone who wants to play an Imperial or Republic military ace--which is what all of us played in the 90's in many, many games.

 

You could assert that any Imperial-specific model that is sold needs to have a Republic model sold at the same time. I'm not sure I even agree with that, but let's go ahead and assert that. Sell a KOTOR Sith Fighter and a KOTOR Republic Fighter. Sell a Fury sibling and a Defender sibling. Sell a TIE Defender lookalike at the same time as a B-wing lookalike.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Nemarus

[Kuciwalker]

And as for the question of Cartel Ships having to be faction neutral--why?

 

For the obvious reasons of

 

1. Flavor, and
   
2. Halves the necessary design work
   

[Nemarus]

For the obvious reasons of

 

1. Flavor, and
   
2. Halves the necessary design work
   

 

Obviously--the problem is that half the design work isn't a net win for BioWare if the model is so niche that only a quarter of the potential ship-buying market buy it.

 

Besides, for the first (only?) set of Cartel Ships, BioWare didn't even have to do much design. They just recycled the models from pre-existing NPC ships you could see laying around the world. Starship equivalents of "extras".

 

But in the future, Cartel Ships are really the best chance at monetizing GSF. There are a lot of willing buyers. But BioWare needs to make smart decisions around 1) what variants people most want duplicates of (for multi-build purposes) and 2) what appearances people will actually find broadly appealing.

 

But knowing them, they'll instead put out the duckbill Interfleet Transfer ship as an alternate T3 Scout that gets Sensor Beacon, Rapid Fire Lasers, and EMP Missile as its default loadout.

 

That will not get them my $20. I have no mechanical need for a second T3 build, and I have no RP/fantasy/aesthetic need to fly the duckboat.

 

But an alternate Imperium that looks like a TIE Defender and a Blackbolt had a baby? Or an alternate Sledgehammer that looks like a mini-Defender? I'd pay $30 each for those.

 

Would it take more effort? Yes. But if BioWare is always going to take the path of least resistance, then they are always going to get a return of the least revenue.

 

My hope is that the upcoming new flashpoints/planets/expansions will also involve some new ship models. Regardless of whether they are Imp, Pub, or Neutral, these should be converted into Cartel Ships ASAP.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Nemarus

[Kuciwalker]

But in the future, Cartel Ships are really the best chance at monetizing GSF. There are a lot of willing buyers.

 

[citation needed]

[Storm-Cutter]

As well as everything else - low playerbase, high CC cost of ships etc. is that they are onscreen for so little time. Your enemy is a box with a nametag - then a box with a reticule to shoot at. -then a cloud of debris if you manage to kill them.

 

However iconic the ships - it's only yours that you see for the entire match. People choose them not for looks, but for the role they play. If a ship was as fast as a scout, a sniper like a gunship and could lay mines, repair team-mates and soak damage like a bomber, while having the utility of a strike, it could look like a standard housebrick and still people would fly it.

 

There are probably many things that would get CCs flowing from the GSF players - but there are so few players that I'm afraid that it'd be pretty low on the to-do list. Such a shame, coz I think GSF had /has great potential.

[Verain]

Enemy ships show up very nicely in the targeting computer. I try for paint jobs that emphasize the nose of my craft, because I know that it's the last thing so very many of my foes will see!

[Davionix]

Enemy ships show up very nicely in the targeting computer. I try for paint jobs that emphasize the nose of my craft, because I know that it's the last thing so very many of my foes will see!

 

This !

 

I wish there were many more good looking paint jobs and a few more colour options to buy.

 

It would probably cost less than designing a ship from scratch and allow us to personalize our ships even more.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Davionix

[Verain]

Empire has like, gray on dark gray, light black on dark white, gray on grey, grey on gray, gRray on grAY, and many others!

[BlacqueKnight]

I'm sorry, but the cartel market ships are ugly. I mean, the old-Moa-design-from-EVE-Online ugly. I want to buy one, but would only do so to save me time on the grind..no mainstream appeal at all. And its a shame.

[_Willock_]

You only have to look at Star Trek Online to see the ridiculous amounts of money people will throw at you for the right starship.

 

I guess it comes down to investment; with TOR they have so many other things in development, and they have to do it all on a budget, it might be difficult to justify the expense when it seems not have not payed off quite as well as they'd hoped.

 

Personally, I think more people would play if there were were variety; GSF is a load of fun, but it can be a bit monotonous because there are so few maps and game modes to play.